The idea of the hereafter in the Ikhwān al-Safā

From the most primitive religions to the present day, most people believe that there is life after death. There is no disagreement on this issue, which we can express as belief in the hereafter. However, various ideas have been presented about how the afterlife will be. Since the hereafter has not yet been experienced, information about it is not clear enough. For this reason, it is inevitable that most of what is said about the afterlife is tawil or interpretation. According to the Ikhwān al-Safā, man is a being composed of soul and body. The soul has come to the world to complete its moral perfection, and here it uses the body as a means. According to Ikhwān al-Safā, the soul will be freed from the body after death and go to heaven or hell. In order to understand the nature of heaven and hell, one must first realise the purpose of man's existence in the world. Because the afterlife is shaped according to the actions of man in this world. For this reason, man must make an ethical effort to perfect his soul and raise it to heaven. This endeavour includes self-education, devotion to worship, possession of moral virtues, and acquiring knowledge and wisdom. The study will first discuss the beliefs of the hereafter in Greek philosophy, Zoroastrianism, Hinduism, Judaism, and Christianity, which we believe influenced the Ikhwān. Then, the purpose of man's existence in this world and the paths that the soul will follow after death, i.e. the afterlife, will be discussed. The topics such as death, the afterlife, resurrection, judgement, resurrection, the judgement, the balance, heaven and hell, etc. will be explained in the context of the Risāls of Ikhwān al-Safā.